Stories

This identity design was created in adobe illustrator to represent the official unit insignia for 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, Feb. 12, 2025. The flying diamond insignia was first recognized during World War II as a shoulder patch. The patch was later mandated by the Commandant of the Marine Corps to represent all Marine Aircraft Wings.

2nd Marine Aircaft Wing

II Marine Expeditionary Force

Archive: May, 2007

Lance Cpl. Joshua Gilley, the machine gun section leader for the Incident Response Platoon with Marine Wing Support Squadron 271, shows other IRP Marines how to disassemble the M-2 .50 caliber heavy machine gun. Gilley was originally an administration clerk before becoming a machine gunner. - Lance Cpl. Joshua Gilley, the machine gun section leader for the Incident Response Platoon with Marine Wing Support Squadron 271, shows other IRP Marines how to disassemble the M-2 .50 caliber heavy machine gun. Gilley was originally an administration clerk before becoming a machine gunner.

Flexibility: Marine moves from admin to machine gun for IRP

Improvise, adapt and overcome. Since day one in recruit training, Marines are taught to be prepared for anything – even if that means working outside of their military occupational specialty.Lance Cpl. Joshua Gilley went from the squadron’s administration office to being the machine gun section leader for Marine Wing Support Squadron 271’s Incident

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AL ASAD, Iraq - Lance Cpl. Melissa Losacker, a military working dog handler, and her canine partner, Karo, search recently vacated cans aboard Al Asad, April 23. The service members and their dogs at the Al Asad Military Working Dog kennel assist in making sure no drugs or explosives are brought onto the base. - AL ASAD, Iraq - Lance Cpl. Melissa Losacker, a military working dog handler, and her canine partner, Karo, search recently vacated cans aboard Al Asad, April 23. The service members and their dogs at the Al Asad Military Working Dog kennel assist in making sure no drugs or explosives are brought onto the base.

Devil Dogs take a bite out of Anbar insurgency

In the states, McGruff the crime dog is responsible for taking a bite out of crime. In the Al Anbar Province, more specifically Al Asad, it is the four-legged Marines at the Military Working Dog Kennel taking a bite out of insurgency. The dogs and their handlers make sure that the service members aboard Al Asad and those they accompany outside the

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AL ASAD, Iraq - Air Force Maj. Steve Sugiyama, the Antiterrorism Force Protection officer for the International Zone, draws out his vulnerability assessment for the Level II ATFP class held aboard Al Asad, April 29. The class taught ATFP officers how to ensure that the service members in their units remained safe during their deployment. - AL ASAD, Iraq - Air Force Maj. Steve Sugiyama, the Antiterrorism Force Protection officer for the International Zone, draws out his vulnerability assessment for the Level II ATFP class held aboard Al Asad, April 29. The class taught ATFP officers how to ensure that the service members in their units remained safe during their deployment.

Class teaches service members in’s, out’s of ATFP

In the War on Terror, security is paramount. Service members go to great lengths to ensure that they stay as safe as possible while deployed. Fences and concrete barriers are erected around buildings, identification cards are checked at the entrance to high-traffic areas, and vehicles are searched as they come through Entry Control Points. All of

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Lance Cpl. Beau Grezik, a landing support specialist with Transportation Support Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 2, helps Cpl. Shaun O-Brien, an air delivery specialist for TS Company, CLB-2, put on his Night Vision Goggles before an air delivery drop outside Controlled Observation Post Timberwolf, April 21. - Lance Cpl. Beau Grezik, a landing support specialist with Transportation Support Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 2, helps Cpl. Shaun O-Brien, an air delivery specialist for TS Company, CLB-2, put on his Night Vision Goggles before an air delivery drop outside Controlled Observation Post Timberwolf, April 21.

Order up: Marines air deliver supplies to COP Timberwolf

Just like a football team’s defense and offense work together to win a game, different parts of the Marine Air Ground Task Force come together to provide support for Marines on the ground.The air delivery Marines of Transportation Support Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), in coordination with Marine Aerial

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Cpl. Terry Bertrand directs Pvt. Coy Tidwell, both heavy equipment operators with Marine Wing Support Squadron 371, to square up the up-armored D-7 dozer to the junkyard, April 7. The junkyard is the future site of Iraqi forces small arms ranges. - Cpl. Terry Bertrand directs Pvt. Coy Tidwell, both heavy equipment operators with Marine Wing Support Squadron 371, to square up the up-armored D-7 dozer to the junkyard, April 7. The junkyard is the future site of Iraqi forces small arms ranges.

One man’s trash is another man’s small arms range

Marines learn the fundamentals of marksmanship during basic training and through hard work and discipline, become riflemen. Any Marine can pick up their rifle at any time with confidence to support the mission, because every Marine is a rifleman. The recent efforts of Marines have enabled Iraqis to develop the same confidence. The “Sandsharks” of

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AL ASAD, Iraq - Spc. Marcos Zavala, a heavy equipment operator with the 618th Airborne Engineers Company, and his father, Roberto, a sheet metal mechanic with the Al Asad Fleet Readiness Center, were able to spend about a week together. - AL ASAD, Iraq - Spc. Marcos Zavala, a heavy equipment operator with the 618th Airborne Engineers Company, and his father, Roberto, a sheet metal mechanic with the Al Asad Fleet Readiness Center, were able to spend about a week together.

Former Marine reunited with Soldier son

Deployment is a time where the support of family becomes more important to service members. Letters, phone calls and e-mails act as a connection to family, to the life left back in the states. Every now and then, a service member gets lucky enough to serve alongside a brother or a sister. Even rarer is the opportunity to visit and spend time with a

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2nd LAAD Battalion provides deterrence though vigilance as Team Guardian

In effort to keep the service members and civilians aboard Al Asad safe, one group of Marines has been dedicated to providing external and internal security. 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion is currently assigned to provide security for all of Al Asad. “We have got the external and internal security of the base,” said Lt. Col. Bruce Barnhill,

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Sgt. Andrea Doty, a communications, navigation and weapons technician for Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 121, was part of the three- time National Champion University of Arizona women?s softball team before joining the Corps in 2002. Doty, who was a right-fielder, spends her time fixing aircraft for the Marine Corps. - Sgt. Andrea Doty, a communications, navigation and weapons technician for Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 121, was part of the three- time National Champion University of Arizona women?s softball team before joining the Corps in 2002. Doty, who was a right-fielder, spends her time fixing aircraft for the Marine Corps.

Marine trades life of national championships to turning wrenches

From sinking jumpers to running triathlons, many Marines have had some kind of athletic background before joining the Corps, but one Marine wasn’t just an athlete - she was a champion. Sgt. Andrea Doty, a communications, navigation and weapons technician for the Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 121 “Green Knights”, was part of the

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Lance Cpl. Randy Graftema, a heavy equipment mechanic for Marine Tactical Air Control Squadron 28 wraps cord outside of the Tactical Air Control Center, April 14. During his deployment Graftema, spends a lot of time working outside his military occupational specialty helping in the other Marines of his section. - Lance Cpl. Randy Graftema, a heavy equipment mechanic for Marine Tactical Air Control Squadron 28 wraps cord outside of the Tactical Air Control Center, April 14. During his deployment Graftema, spends a lot of time working outside his military occupational specialty helping in the other Marines of his section.

Marine proves to be valuable part of team

Marines are known to be flexible; whether on deployments serving as individual augments or working outside their occupational military specialties, they are always trying to help anyway they can. Lance Cpl. Randy Graftema is a heavy equipment mechanic for the Marine Tactical Air Control Squadron 28, showing a little flexibility on his current

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AL ASAD, Iraq - Sgt. Eric Roeder, a flightline mechanic with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363, recently won the II Marine Expeditionary Unit meritorious staff sergeant board while deployed to Al Asad. Roeder, a Belleville, Ill., native, has been in the Marine Corps for five years and plans on making it a career. - AL ASAD, Iraq - Sgt. Eric Roeder, a flightline mechanic with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363, recently won the II Marine Expeditionary Unit meritorious staff sergeant board while deployed to Al Asad. Roeder, a Belleville, Ill., native, has been in the Marine Corps for five years and plans on making it a career.